Tag: Inbound Marketing

Much of the content that we produce for the internet receives little to no feedback as to quality. But how can anyone improve without feedback? If we do not have someone step back and take an objective look at what we have produced? I regularly critique my own efforts and even ask other people to help me where ever I happen to be sharing it. That is because in my view, no one is going to reach their potential for a content producer in a vacuum.

This article is serving two purposes. First, to give you an idea of what you can expect if you sign up for the newsletter. But also to serve as an inaugural version of the idea of the “Content”inental Breakfast. Let’s get started.

Video is considered by most content producers as the most valuable and shareable content category. Let’s look at a video I produced for a Fiverr Gig I posted last year. Because I threw it together in about 30 minutes; the result was less than stellar in my opinion. And it turns out, it was too long and some people who have viewed it on Facebook seemed to think that the part of the script about the rates for Union Narrators came off as “snarky”. There were also some comments about the lighting needing improvement. What do you think?

When this article was written it was showing 1674 Views and 14 Shares. It may be gaining both as you read this. So what is good about this video? Why do you think people are sharing it and watching it?

My opinion? First the setting. Who does not like the subtropical environment of South Florida and the Florida Keys? Many people dream of being able to sit under a nice awning and drink cold beers next to a waterway in Florida. Especially one where the fish are swimming right up to the dock. So there is a lot to be said for where this video is set.

What else? This vid appeals because it is timely. We are entering the vacation season and many people are thinking of getting away. Aren’t you?

So what could have been done better? It is highly unlikely that the producer of this video did it just because they are proud of their establishment. Or because they wanted to make people envious. The organization that shared this video is a for profit tour agency.

It may have been to their advantage to post produce this video. It is pretty clear that someone shot this with their phone and then just shared it. And that is fine. Many people do this and get people to view and share their work. But had they taken some time to add a few items to it; it may actually drive more traffic to their website. But as their Facebook Page has a clear Call To Action, some people may say that driving people to their website is not necessary.

That is debatable. And getting into that discussion is not the purpose of this article.

I may still suggest some basic post production. There are ways of adding clickable links for instance to a video. So that while the person is viewing it, they can click a call to action in the video itself. There are also ways of adding text that could include a call to action such as a phone number. Or requesting that the viewer visit the facebook page and like it and call from there.

The soundtrack is non existent. No narration. No music bed. Many people can be influenced by the soundtrack that a video contains. Although we do not often think much about it, soundtracks in TV Shows and Movies are a large part of the overall presentation. And can move people to think. And once they are thinking, they may act. These sorts of details can take the effort of content production to a whole new level.

What do you think? If you were to suggest improvements to the two examples above, what would they be?

These are the kinds of things that I will be doing here on my blog and in the newsletter. So, if you are seeking to discuss and discover ways of bringing your content production to a new level, sign up. And discuss. It is my strong desire to help you take your content to a level befitting of royalty. I like to call it Kingly Content.

If you follow or have an interest in Content Marketing, then you know that producing fantastic and engaging Content for the Internet is an important part of your strategy. But have you ever asked yourself where it is taking you. Or more precisely where it is taking your prospective customers and audience? Is your Content leading people to trust you and want to do business with you? Or is it just like everyone else’s?

There was a time not too long ago in SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Circles when we would say, “Content is King”. And it was and still is crucially important to any Inbound Marketing or Public Relations Strategy. Driving people to your website so you can continue to engage them with your expertise and Unique Selling Proposition or messaging means the difference between being successful and just being here.

Look around and you will see that many people are here. And it is a certainty that many more people are coming. Wherever your content is on line it is in a fierce competition with a lot of other people’s content for attention. And every day more and more content is produced and stored here in the digital library we like to call the internet. In 2014, it was estimated that every minute:

Facebook users shared nearly 2.5 million pieces of content.

Twitter users tweet nearly 300,000 times.

Instagram users post nearly 220,000 new photos.

YouTube users upload 72 hours of new video content.

Apple users download nearly 50,000 apps.

Email users send over 200 million messages.

It was also estimated that 4.6 billion pieces of content are produced daily (Source: LinkedIn). Every day there are around 92,000 new articles posted on the internet. There are 83,000 blog posts published every hour. WordPress users produce about 35.8 million new posts each month. In 2014 alone, over 86 million sites were built with WordPress.

So how to stand out among the crowd? I propose that we set a royal standard. And here are some ideas to think about when you are creating content. Or having others help you or do it for you.

What causes a King or Queen to stand out among his or her subjects? Why does royalty influence people to pay attention and act where common folks like you and me sometimes need to work much harder for the same effect?

Announced Appearances

When royalty appears there is fanfare. It is accompanied by sounds and sights that signify it is coming. There are trumpets and announcers and a parade. Throngs of people hope for just a glimpse or a wave. When royalty appears in public, it is a big deal that produces its own attention. Usually, before a public appearance there are announcements and people know that the king or queen or prince will be in a certain place at a certain time. It is quite unusual and rare for royalty to just show up somewhere without any warning. And people who are interested in participating in the event have the opportunity to plan for it. To mark their calenders. Can you think of ways that your content creation strategy would evolve if you were to consider this?

Regalia is defined as: the emblems, symbols, or paraphernalia indicative of royalty or decorations or insignia indicative of an office or membership. So when royalty is seen it looks like something special. Royals wear the finest garments. Everything surrounding them is the best and most attractive it can possibly be. The people surrounding royalty also look as well put together as possible. There is an air of sophistication and belonging that accompanies royalty. It causes people to want to be a part of the experience. To want to join the entourage. To jump on the bandwagon. So when you are creating content, what kind of things can you think of to make certain that it is accompanied by the regalia necessary to influence your audience?

Authoritative

Kings and Queens receive respect. Their words and actions bring results because they have authority. When you live within a kingdom, you either do what the king or queen or prince says, or you suffer unpleasant consequences. And that is something that kingly content conveys. The weight of authority.

Entrepreneur.com describes it this way: “Social tie-ins remain a must in terms of creating powerful, authoritative content. The key here is to create impactful content that catches the attention of influencers and inspires them to share your content. This will often resonate with your target audience more than anything else. Search engines are also utilizing social signals for validating authority. Bing, for instance, searches for social signals to determine whether an author is recognized, well-cited and considered a subject matter expert. This is where signals from LinkedIn can prove to be particularly beneficial.“

How can you create content that conveys authority? Will you content impress people sufficiently that your peers and those who have influence in your sector feel good about sharing it or quoting it?

Confidence and Poise

If you have had the opportunity to interact with royalty, then you may recall that in most cases; they had confidence and poise. The way that royalty interacts with others demonstrates a certain assuredness. And grace. Consider this description of poise.

Be humble. A person who’s unsure of themselves will try to overcompensate by bragging or showing off. A poised person has no need for validation from others, and can take criticism well.

Be calm. Being poised means being at peace. Stress and worry will cause you to come across as negative and frantic. Practice taking deep breaths when something starts to cause you stress, and take a step back from the situation. Analyze why you’re having this stress and what you can do about it.

Don’t rush. A poised person will never be seen rushing across the room to get the last seat. The mindset behind poise means slowing down, and being confident that you’ll get where you need to be eventually.

Be gentle. Your body movements should be gentle and careful. Put your cup down slowly. Don’t drop your books on the table. When you hug someone don’t try to squeeze the life out of them. Just use as much force as is necessary in most situations.

Ask yourself questions like this when creating content, Is my content bragging about me or my business? Am I relating my message in a way that may seem frantic or negative? Am I rushing my audience to make a decision about my services or brand? Am I producing content that gently leads my audience to conclusions that will add value to their efforts?

There will continue to be videos, podcasts, infographics, blog entries, and articles produced in staggering amounts. And much of it will be common. And will be overlooked. Just bytes taking up space on someone’s servers. But if you consider some of these ideas while producing your content, you can also make your content kingly. And expect the same benefits that royalty brings.